Category Archives: Useful Tips/Good Ideas

Post navigation

There is indeed no doubt that the best way to learn more about prospective universities/colleges is by attending their open days. Once there, it is quite useless to simply walk around, checking out the place, without asking the proper questions. Sure it is important to look around to see if you like the campus, however, asking questions is the key to guiding your future decision regarding where you wish to study. In this posting, I shall be sharing with you some great questions you can ask at/during open days. These questions are by no means extensive, but should allow you to cover all the important bases.

18 basic but great questions to ask at university open days:

What types of degrees/courses are on offer?

Are financial aid packages offered?

Are tutoring programmes offered?

How large are the average class sizes?

How many students live on campus?

What types of extra mural activities are made available/offered?

Is there a student union?

How safe are the dorms and campus? What security measures are in place?

Are there opportunities for part time jobs in and around the campus?

What teaching/instruction methods are in use at the university/college?

What dorm choices are on offer?

Are any types of pets allowed in the dorms?

What are the basic dorm rules?

Are students allowed to hang items in the dorm rooms (on the walls)?

What assessment methods are in use at the college/university?

Are graduate job placements offered by the university/college after graduation?

Does the university/college run job fairs?

What documents are needed in order to enrol and when do application registrations close?

Do some research regarding what other questions to ask during open days, and whatever you do, make sure you DO attend several open days before deciding on which college/varsity you will be attending. Three or four years is a very long time to spend at a university/college you despise, so be sure to make the right choice!

Edit: Be sure to ONLY apply at colleges you can afford to attend. It is always devastating when someone gets accepted into a school, and then cannot afford to pay the tuition. Also, remember to apply for scholarships/bursaries asap, if this is the route you wish to go in! Just keep in mind that bursaries and scholarships are not ever guaranteed, so don’t bank on these.

Leaving home and going to university/college can be quite a big adjustment and many new first year students find this transition an incredibly hard one to make; often leaving them homesick. However, you can make your move a little less daunting by following these tips:

Arrange to have a Skype session with your family/friends at least once a week during your first four months of moving to college. This way the distance between you and your loved ones will not seem so huge

Keep regular contact with your nearest and dearest on social platforms/apps such as WhatsApp. We are living in the age of technology so make use of it. You mom will in anyhow most probably harass you endlessly on Facebook and WhatsApp; just like you never left home!

Try and make new friends ASAP. This is easier than it sounds if you just know how. Sign up for and get involved in various social clubs, go to every meet-and-greet you hear about and just be active in college live in general; you are guaranteed to meet new people this way.

Make your room/surroundings more homey by bringing your own curtains and bedding from home, adding a plant or two, putting up posters, pinning photo’s of friends and loved ones to notice boards (or the wall); anything that makes the ‘living space’ feel like your own.

Good luck and remember, being ‘the new gal/guy’ is not something that lasts forever; neither do ‘the homesick blues’.

During long holiday breaks, many students tend to lose some or all of their interest in studying. Why this happens is because studying is incredibly boring in comparison to just about any other activity we chose to do during our off time.

No matter how we try and “fun it up” the fact remains that no candy coating will ever make studying even half as interesting as even the most mundane of tasks/activities we undertake during our holidays.

Many students even quit their studies after long periods of recess. So just how can we ensure that we don’t lose our passion/will to study and become part of the statistics? Well, your self control does have a lot to do with it. However, there are a few tips and tricks you can try such as:

********

Read up on some of next terms work during your holidays, in the evenings before going to bed. If you are starting a new year after hols and don’t have your study materials as of yet, simply turn to the internet to read up some interesting facts or latest developments in the field you are studying. By doing this, you brain goes into the same mode as when you are studying at varsity/college. You will still be in “holiday mode”, but not to the degree that your study priorities/life are forgotten.

Discuss your studies with your family or friends once in a while during your break. This way your educational endeavours will always remain in your subconscious, as opposed to your brain pushing thoughts of your studies into the furthest, darkest corners of your mind.

At least once a week, take a time-out where you just sit with a cup of coffee and reflect on all your long term goals. Use the time to remind yourself of why you are actually studying.

Put up some varsity/college reminder items. Items such as school posters or flags. Even photos or flyers from the most recent epic party will work, as long as you have something up on the wall that constantly reminds you of your fabulous life at varsity/college.

And there you have it. A few basic ideas of how not to lose your passion/interest for resuming your studies after your vacation time is over. If you can think of anything else to add, feel free to do so below in the comments section.

Edit: I have been having another thought concerning how not to lose your study interest during holidays. Why not create an informal holiday “students club”? How this will work is you will create an online page on which to share some funny information. You will then invite other students who are studying in the same field as you to join. Once you have enough members you can begin adding bits of funny info (such as funny news articles or jokes). Anything will work as long as it is funny and pertains to your field of study. By doing this, you will keep the thought of your studies in your subconscious.